Burning Questions: Can I Buy at a Restaurant Supply Store If I'm Not a Chef? Part Three
The showroom at Dinetz Restaurant Equipment in Toronto
And more great ideas:
Pablo Solomon, an artist and designer who lives north of Austin, grew up working in restaurants. Here’s his advice:
1. Wholesale restaurant suppliers are great for getting the big stuff, like large stainless steel pots to make a couple of gallons of soap or chili. They’re also great for getting a lot of something cheap, like napkins and tablecloths.
2. Don’t make the mistake that people make at Sam’s and other wholesalers, where you buy too much of something that will spoil.
3. Restaurant suppliers often have top-quality professional grade implements and appliances, but do you really a mixer to make up enough dough for 200 cinnamon rolls?
4. Professional grade knives are worth the money.
5. The wholesalers can also arrange for custom printing or embroidery on aprons, napkins, etc. These make great gifts for your party/dinner guests.
Next, Douglas Welch of Los Angeles is a home cook who regularly shops at his local restaurant supply store for everything from cardboard cake rounds to share his baked goods with friends to restaurant-quality knives and large stockpots for making 20 quarts of chili for his annual Christmas party.
“My best advice is to buy in the mid-range of price,” he says. “Most home cooks can make great advantage of restaurant supply items without paying the premium that a restaurant chef might pay. Avoid flashy gadgets both big and small. Not everyone needs a ice cream freezer capable of making 4 quarts at a time. Finally, look for those things — like cake rounds and parchment paper squares — that make life in the kitchen just a little bit easier.”
Your turn: what’s a professional piece of equipment that you’ve already used? Did it make your job easier? Or harder?
